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Arsenal's teenage sensation Max Dowman was the star attraction against Brighton but there was another reason why it was a milestone night for the club

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When Arsenal published their team news for the Carabao Cup clash with Brighton at 6. 30pm on Wednesday, eyes were drawn to one name more than any other. Max Dowman's selection on the right wing made him the youngest player to start a competitive match in Gunners history, aged just 15 years and 302 days. The teenager rose to the occasion with a lively display in Arsenal's 2-0 fourth-round win - but it was another record secured against Brighton that underlined why Mikel Arteta's side are emerging as the team to beat in English football this season.

Arsenal have had a near-perfect start to the campaign, winning 12 of their 14 games in all competitions - with the only blemishes a 1-0 defeat at Liverpool in August and their 1-1 home draw with Manchester City in September. The Gunners have won eight successive matches since the visit of City, helping them build a four-point lead at the top of the Premier League, maintain a perfect record in the Champions League and reach the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

And their sparkling form in October saw Arsenal achieve a milestone that has never been done before in English football. The Gunners' 2-0 triumph over Brighton saw them become the first English top-flight team to play at least six matches in a month and win every game without letting in a single goal, according to Opta. The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. Arsenal's perfect month began with a 2-0 Champions League victory over Olympiacos on October 1, before they beat West Ham United by the same scoreline in the Premier League three days later. They picked up where they left off after the international break with a 1-0 league win at Fulham on October 18, followed by a 4-0 rout of Atletico Madrid in Europe. The Gunners then overcame Crystal Palace 1-0 in the Premier League last Sunday, before goals from Ethan Nwaneri and Bukayo Saka against Brighton secured a sixth successive win to nil.

Arsenal's excellent defensive record in October means they are already eyeing another significant milestone. Their six successive shutouts leaves them just two games shy of their club record for consecutive clean sheets, when they kept eight in a row in 1903 across two Second Division campaigns. But they must avoid conceding in three successive away games to beat that mark, with Premier League trips to Burnley and Sunderland sandwiching a Champions League clash with Slavia Prague in the next nine days. James Roberts is a freelance sports journalist working for Four Four Two. He has spent the past three years as a sports sub-editor for various national newspapers and started his career at the Oxford Mail, where he covered Oxford United home and away. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

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